Fabric Scraps 101: How to Store Them and Actually Use Them
Scraps are inevitable. No matter how hard you try to scrunch that one last piece in to not waste fabric, there will still be some fabric waste.
Now I don’t tend to keep anything absolutely unusable… those scraps go to the “stuffing” bag. When I get enough of them, I stuff a pillowcase, or sew up something bigger, to make dog beds to donate to my local shelter!
Anything in between “unusables” and Fat Eighths goes in my scrap bins. These are color coded by (white/muslin, etc) and not organized in the least bit. They are stuffed full and if I need to use them, I just dig around for what I need. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don’t. It’s like a treasure hunt.
Fat Eights and Fat Quarters (or rather, scraps that are approximately the size of these precuts) are stored in a bin on their own. Slightly more organized, but then when I inherit more scraps… it gets a little crazy again.
Anything higher than a Fat Quarter, I no longer consider a scrap, and it gets stored in its color-coded tub.
Sometimes I wonder if I have too many scraps, or if I should pre-cut my scraps into strips or squares or something immediately usable… but then I remember how much joy it gives me to just dig through the bins and see if I have anything I can use! It’s like childhood play!
I love using scraps in FPP projects, especially ones that don’t necessarily require certain fabrics to be all the same. I love the Scrap Flower Quilt from On Williams Street because you can use several different scrappy fabrics from one color! I actually made this quilt into a tote bag for my mom for Mother's Day a few years ago!
There are also plenty of small projects to use scraps on. You can sew together scraps and create a pin cushion, lanyard, scrunchie, makeup pouch… all sorts of things!
One way of making smaller, but still just barely usable scraps, into something completely new is using the Quilt As You Go method to basically create a panel of scraps! You can then use this to make something bigger like a tote bag or a pillow! This is how I made my journal cover!
There are plenty of scrap quilts out there as well. My Cosmic Crush pattern lends well to using different scraps of a certain color. I plan on having several more scrappy quilts in my collection as the years come!
What is your favorite way to use scraps? Sign up for my email list to stay updated on future scrap busting ideas!